It’s been a memorable couple of weeks for the 27-year-old. No sooner had he re-written his CV with a stunning 9.83 performance at the USATF NYC Grand Prix (24 June) – lowering Linford Christie’s 30-year-old mark of 9.87 – than he won two hugely impressive national titles in Manchester, becoming the first British man to achieve a UK Championships sprint-double since Marlon Devonish in 2007.
Hughes’ first victory came in the 100m as he raced through biblical rain to clock 10.03 for his first British 100m title since 2015. Arguably even more remarkable was his 200m win as he clocked an incredible 19.77 (+2.3m/s) – a time that would have smashed the long-standing British record of 19.87, held by John Regis, had it not been for the illegal tailwind.
American trio Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley and Erriyon Knighton, who shared mixed fortunes at US National Championships in Eugene, will join Hughes in the highly anticipated 200m in London.
Two-time world 200m champion and Olympic bronze medallist Lyles, the US national record holder (19.31) and current world leader (19.67), is already guaranteed a 200m spot at the World Championships in Budapest. He finished third in the US 100m in 10.00 having revealed that he had contracted Covid following the USATF NY Grand Prix Meeting and had only just recovered.
World 100m champion and Olympic silver medallist Fred Kerley – who is guaranteed a spot in Budapest in the 100m - raced over 200m in Eugene and finished fourth (19.86). His best is 19.76.
Erriyon Knighton is the world 200m bronze medallist and finished fourth in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. The 19-year-old is unbeaten over 200m in the Wanda Diamond League this season so far. His season’s best of 19.72 – second-fastest in the world this year to date - came with victory at the US nationals. His lifetime best is 19.49, a US under-20 record.
Following the UK Athletics Championships, Hughes posted a short video on Twitter encouraging fans to buy their tickets for this incredible London showdown.
“I just wanted to say a massive thanks to each and every one of you who came out at the weekend,” he said. “It was amazing...and to do it in front of a home crowd was even more special. I’m looking forward to competing in London on July 23rd. I’m encouraging you guys to go out and get your tickets. It’s going to be a movie. I can’t wait to see you there.”
Tickets are on sale now with the majority of those remaining priced at £23 per adult and £5 per child.
